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Research Summaries

This section contains the latest highlighted research for patients from ASCO medical journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology, as well as an archive of research highlights from previous ASCO scientific meetings (2011-2015). For the latest research highlights from more recent ASCO meetings, visit the Cancer.Net Blog or check out Cancer.Net’s audio podcasts and videos for patients.

To search this archive, use the drop-down menu below. You can select a specific year, meeting or publication, and/or a specific topic, such as a type of cancer. Selecting "All" will take you to a complete list of articles that appear under all categories.

A large clinical trial suggests that anastrazole (Arimidex) may be a new option for preventing breast cancer after treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is a non-invasive type of breast cancer. DCIS can usually be eliminated with a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. However, women with DCIS are at increased risk for developing invasive breast cancer in the same or opposite breast.

A large phase III study has found that a new targeted therapy, called palbociclib (Ibrance), delayed the growth and spread of advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer by roughly five months when combined with the standard hormonal therapy fulvestrant (Faslodex). This combination could become a new treatment option for women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Results from a large study show that the combination of lapatinib (Tykerb) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus chemotherapy after surgery is not more effective than only trastuzumab plus chemotherapy for women with early-stage, human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.

In an analysis of two ongoing studies, researchers found that exemestane (Aromasin) was more effective at preventing hormone-sensitive breast cancer from returning for premenopausal women than tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) when each drug was paired with ovarian function suppression.

Results from a recent phase III clinical trial show that women who took goserelin (Zoladex) with chemotherapy for early-stage, hormone receptor-negative breast cancer were 64% less likely to develop premature ovarian failure, also called early menopause, compared with women who received chemotherapy alone.

According to new findings from a phase III clinical trial, women taking zoledronic acid (Zometa) for breast cancer that has spread to the bone, called metastases, can safely scale back to a once-every-three-months schedule after finishing a year of monthly treatments.

In a recent genetic study, researchers found that one in five African American women with breast cancer have an inherited (passed down in the family) mutation (change) in at least one of the 18 genes that are linked with a higher risk of breast cancer. Compared to the general population, African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, die from the disease, and have triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer is a fast-growing and difficult-to-treat cancer that does not have hormone receptors (for the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone) or HER2 receptors (a protein found on some breast tumors). Researchers have suspected that these differences are due to inherited genes linked to breast cancer, but this is the first study to look at all known breast cancer gene mutations, not just BRCA genes.

Women with higher-risk, early-stage breast cancer who received weekly chemotherapy with paclitaxel (Taxol) after surgery as part of a clinical trial lived for the same amount of time without the cancer returning as those who received higher doses of the same drug every two weeks (known as dose-dense therapy). However, the researchers found that the women who received chemotherapy every week experienced fewer and less serious treatment-related side effects.

Results from a recent study show that directing radiation therapy to the underarm lymph nodes works as well as removing the lymph nodes with surgery and is less likely to cause lymphedema for women with early-stage breast cancer. Lymphedema is the abnormal buildup of fluid (lymph) in the arm, causing swelling that can be painful and limit a person’s movement. It is a common side effect from both surgery and radiation therapy to the underarm lymph nodes.

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